Remote control system and method for portable terminals

ABSTRACT

Provided are a remote control system and method for controlling portable terminals. The remote control system includes a control terminal which is a portable terminal that performs a remote control operation, a target terminal which is a portable terminal that is subject to the remote control operation performed by the control terminal, and a remote control management server which determines whether the control terminal and the target terminal are heterogeneous, and if the two terminals are heterogeneous, converts messages respectively transmitted from the control terminal and the target terminal to a format conforming to corresponding receiving terminals.

PRIORITY

This application is a Continuation Application of, and claims priorityunder 35 U.S.C. § 120 to, U.S. application Ser. No. 14/021,285, whichwas filed in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office on Sep. 9, 2013, issuedon Mar. 20, 2018 as U.S. Pat. No. 9,922,546, and claims priority under35 U.S.C. § 120 to U.S. application Ser. No. 12/001,789, which was filedin the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office on Dec. 11, 2007, issued as U.S.Pat. No. 8,548,453 on Oct. 1, 2013, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C.§ 119 to an application filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Officeon Dec. 11, 2006 and assigned Serial No. 10-2006-0125533, the contentsof all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a remote control system andmethod for portable terminals, and in particular, to a remote controlsystem and method in which portable terminals can be remotely accessedand controlled by providing a remote control management server so that aremote control command is relayed between the portable terminals.

2. Description of the Related Art

With the recent proliferation of portable terminals, a mobile phoneproviding wireless voice call and data exchange is beginning to beregarded as personal necessity. Conventional portable terminals havegenerally provided only wireless calls. However, along with technicaladvances and introduction of the wireless Internet, portable terminalsare now used for many purposes in addition to telephone calls orschedule management. For example, images can be captured by using adigital camera included in a portable terminal. Further, the portableterminal provides a variety of functions such as viewing a satellitebroadcasting program, games and Web surfing using the wireless Internet.

A typical portable terminal is used to receive services by accessing aserver. These days, however, various contents can be generated andstored by the use of a portable terminal, and a large data size can behandled by a large capacity storage device included in the portableterminal. Moreover, the portable terminal is emerging as a tool forproviding services with the growing processing capability and networkspeed.

A large amount of data stored in the portable terminal cannot beutilized when the portable terminal is lost or when a user does notcarry it. This problem can be easily addressed using a remote controlmethod in which a portable terminal can be remotely accessed andcontrolled.

For example, remote control is used when one Personal Computer (PC)(i.e., control PC) accesses another PC (i.e., target PC) operating underthe same Operation System (OS). By performing the remote control betweenPCs, the control PC can access the target PC and thus can see a screenof the target PC and directly execute programs stored in the target PC.In addition, the control PC can use peripheral devices of the target PC.Further, communication can be achieved between peripheral devices of thecontrol PC and those of the target PC. This is possible because theperipheral devices of either the control PC or the target PC areimplemented conforming to several standards, and thus have relativelygood hardware compatibility. However, the remote control between the PCsis valid only when the PCs operate under the same OS and with ahigh-speed network bandwidth.

Since a User Interface (UI) is different among portable terminalmanufacturers, it is difficult to meet the requirement that the PCs haveto operate under the same OS. Further, even if that requirement is met,a specific data transfer rule has to be defined to share data betweenthe PCs.

Therefore, there is a demand for a remote control system and method forproviding remote control to not only homogeneous portable terminals butalso heterogeneous portable terminals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a remote control system and method forportable terminals.

The present invention provides a remote control system and method inwhich portable terminals can be remotely accessed and controlled byproviding a remote control management server so that a remote controlcommand is relayed between the portable terminals.

The present invention provides a remote control system and method inwhich not only homogeneous portable terminals but also heterogeneousportable terminals can be remotely accessed and controlled by providinga remote control management server so that a remote control command isrelayed between the portable terminals.

The present invention provides a remote control system and method inwhich a remote control management server converts a remote controlcommand message to a format conforming to a target terminal, and thusremote control can be achieved between heterogeneous portable terminals.

The present invention provides a remote control system and method inwhich a remote control management server converts a remote controlresponse message to a format conforming to a control terminal, and thusremote control can be achieved between heterogeneous portable terminals.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided aportable communication device including an input device; an outputdevice; wireless communication circuitry to establish a communicationconnection with an electronic device external to the portablecommunication device via a server; and a processor-implementedcontroller adapted to: transmit, via the communication connection, arequest for controlling the electronic device to the electronic device;receive, via the communication connection, a grant message with respectto the request from the electronic device; transmit, via thecommunication connection, a remote control command to the electronicdevice based at least in part on receiving the grant message, the remotecontrol command to control a specified operation of the electronicdevice based at least in part on an input to be received via the inputdevice of the portable communication device; and receive, via thecommunication connection, content corresponding to the specifiedoperation from the electronic device, at least part of the content beingmodified by the server to conform to the portable communication deviceprior to receiving the content at the portable communication device suchthat the content can be presented via the output device of the portablecommunication device.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided aportable communication device including a speaker; wirelesscommunication circuitry; and a processor-implemented controller adaptedto: establish, using the wireless communication circuitry, acommunication connection with a first electronic device external to theportable communication device via a second electronic device external tothe portable communication device; receive, via the communicationconnection, audio content from the first electronic device via thesecond electronic device, at least part of the audio content beingmodified by the second electronic device to conform to the portablecommunication device prior to receiving the audio content at theportable communication device such that the audio content can bepresented at the portable communication device; and output sound via thespeaker corresponding to the audio content as modified by the secondelectronic device.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided anapparatus including at least one communication circuitry; and aprocessor-implemented controller adapted to: transmit, using the atleast one communication circuitry, a remote control command receivedfrom a first electronic device to a second electronic device, the remotecontrol command to control a specified operation of the secondelectronic device by the first electronic device; receive, using the atleast one communication circuitry, content from the second electronicdevice based at least in part on the remote control command; transmit,using the at least one communication circuitry, the content to the firstelectronic device based at least in part on a first indication that thecontent can be presented at the first electronic device; and transmit,using the at least one communication circuitry, another content modifiedfrom the content by the apparatus to the first electronic device basedat least in part on a second indication that the content cannot bepresented at the first electronic device without modification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 illustrates a remote control system according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control terminal shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a target terminal shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a remote control management server shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 5 illustrates a remote control process performed by the controlterminal shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 illustrates a remote control process performed by the targetterminal shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 illustrates a relay process performed by the remote controlmanagement server shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 illustrates a relay process performed by the remote controlmanagement server shown in FIG. 1 when a remote control process iscarried out between two heterogeneous terminals; and

FIG. 9 illustrates a relay process performed by the remote controlmanagement server shown in FIG. 1 when a remote control process iscarried out between two homogeneous terminals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the followingdescription, well-known functions or constructions are not described indetail for the sake of clarity and conciseness.

FIG. 1 illustrates a remote control system according to the presentinvention. Referring to FIG. 1, the remote control system includes acontrol terminal 110, a remote control management server 120 and atarget terminal 130. The control terminal 110 is a portable terminalthat performs a remote control operation. The remote control managementserver 120 relays a remote control command. The target terminal 130 is aportable terminal that is subject to the remote control operation.

The control terminal 110 and the target terminal 130 may beheterogeneous. In this case, upon receiving the remote control commandfrom the control terminal 110, the remote control management server 120transmits the remote control command to the target terminal 130 afterconverting it to a format conforming to the target terminal 130. Uponreceiving a remote control response message from the target terminal130, the remote control management server 120 transmits the remotecontrol response message to the control terminal 110 after converting itto a format conforming to the control terminal 110. Details ofcomponents constituting the remote control system will be describedbelow.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control terminal 110 of FIG. 1.Referring to FIG. 2, the control terminal 110 includes a controller 211,a display unit 212, an audio output unit 213, an input unit 214, acommunication unit 215, a memory 216 and a control request processor217.

The display unit 212 displays state information (or indicator) of thecontrol terminal 110, alphanumerical characters, moving pictures andstill pictures. Further, the display unit 212 displays image dataincluded in the remote control response message received from the targetterminal 130. The display unit 212 may be a color Liquid Crystal Display(LCD).

The audio output unit 213 is a speaker for outputting audio sound. Underthe control of the control request processor 217, audio data is receivedfrom the target terminal 130 according to the remote control responsemessage, and the received audio data is output through the audio outputunit 213.

The remote control command is received through the input unit 214 usinga keypad or a touch screen by a user, thereby controlling the controlterminal 110 and the target terminal 130.

The communication unit 215 communicates with the remote controlmanagement server 120 to transmit/receive the remote control message. Inthis case, in a receiving process, a frequency of a Radio Frequency (RF)signal received trough an antenna is decreased, and then the receivedsignal is de-spread and channel-decoded. In addition, in a transmittingprocess, the received signal is channel-coded and spread, and then thefrequency thereof is increased for transmission through the antenna.

The memory 216 stores a program for controlling an overall operation ofthe control terminal 110, an application program and data (e.g., phonenumbers, Short Message Service (SMS) messages, compressed images andmoving pictures). Optionally, the memory 216 stores product information(i.e., product spec) of the control terminal 110.

When a remote control event is detected, the control request processor217 generates a remote control request message and transmits it to theremote control management server 120. When a remote control grantmessage is received from the target terminal 130 after performing anauthentication process, the control request processor 217 generates aremote control command message including the remote control messagereceived through the input unit 214 and transmits it to the remotecontrol management server 120. When the remote control response messageis received from the target terminal 130, the control request processor217 respectively outputs video and audio data to the display unit 212and the audio output unit 213.

During the authentication process, the target terminal 130 may send apassword request. Then, the control request processor 217 receives apassword through the input unit 214 and transmits it to the targetterminal 130 via the remote control management server 120.

In addition to providing the overall control to the control terminal110, the controller 211 controls the control request processor 217.Although the controller 211 and the control request processor 217 areseparately implemented herein, the present invention is not limitedthereto. Thus, in practice, a function of the control request processor217 may be performed by the controller 211.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the target terminal 130 of FIGS. 1 and 2.Referring to FIG. 3, the target terminal 130 includes a controller 311,a display unit 312, an audio output unit 313, an input unit 314, acommunication unit 315, a memory 316 and a control response processor317.

The display unit 312 displays state information (or indicator) of thecontrol terminal 110, alphanumerical characters, moving pictures andstill pictures. The display unit 312 may be a color Liquid CrystalDisplay (LCD).

The audio output unit 313 is a type of speaker for generating orreceiving audio data, and outputting audio sound.

The remote control command is received through the input unit 314 usinga keypad or a touch screen by the user.

The communication unit 315 communicates with the remote controlmanagement server 120 to transmit/receive the remote control message. Inthis case, in a receiving process, a frequency of an RF signal receivedtrough an antenna is decreased, and then the received signal isde-spread and channel-decoded. In addition, in a transmitting process,the received signal is channel-coded and spread, and then the frequencythereof is increased for transmission through the antenna.

The memory 316 stores a program for controlling an overall operation ofthe target terminal 130, an application program and data (e.g., phonenumbers, SMS messages, compressed images and moving pictures). Further,the memory 316 stores a password for authentication and a control grantlist that contains information regarding which terminal has granted theuse of the remote control. Optionally, the memory 316 stores productinformation (i.e., product spec) of the target terminal 130.

Upon receiving a remote control request message, the control responseprocessor 317 determines the validity of the remote control request byperforming an authentication process. If the remote control request isvalid, a remote control grant message is generated. Upon receiving aremote control command message, the control response processor 317executes the remote control command included in the received remotecontrol command message. Further, a remote control response messageincluding video/audio data is generated under the control of the controlresponse processor 317, wherein the video/audio data is periodicallyoutput within a time interval. The generated remote control responsemessage is transmitted to the remote control management server 120.

Instead of being periodically generated, the remote control responsemessage may be generated only when the video data is modified or whenthe audio data is output. This is because last received video data canbe continuously displayed only when there is no audio data output and novideo data modification in the control terminal 110.

Various authentication methods may be used by the control responseprocessor 317 in the authentication process. Three representativeexamples of the authentication methods are performed as follows. First,a password is requested, and a received password is compared with apre-stored password. Second, the control terminal 110 sends the remotecontrol request message, and the control grant list stored in the memory316 is checked to determine whether the control terminal 110 has grantedremote control. Third, a user of the target terminal 130 directly grantsthe use of the target terminal 130 using the input unit 314 when theremote control request message is received.

In addition to providing the overall control to the target terminal 130,the controller 311 controls the control response processor 317. Althoughthe controller 311 and the control request processor 317 are separatelyimplemented herein, the present invention is not limited thereto. Thus,in practice, a function of the control request processor 317 may beperformed by the controller 311.

Furthermore, although the control terminal 110 and the target terminal130 are distinctively depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, in practice, however,one portable terminal may be used for both the control terminal 110 andthe target terminal 130. That is, the configurations depicted in FIGS. 2and 3 may be integrated into one system.

Accordingly, the controllers 211 and 311 control the control requestprocessor 217 and the control response processor 317. Although theprocessors 217 and 317 and the controller 211 and 311 are separatelyimplemented herein, the present invention is not limited thereto. Thus,functions of the processors 217 and 317 may be entirely or partiallyperformed by the controllers 211 and 311.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the remote control management server 120 ofFIGS. 1 to 3. Referring to FIG. 4, the remote control management server120 includes a relay processor 421, a terminal information DataBase (DB)422, a key mapper 423, a video converter 424 and an audio converter 425.

The terminal information DB 422 stores spec information such asinformation on an OS of a portable terminal and information on a Codecfor outputting video and audio data. The terminal information DB 422 maybe incorporated into the remote control management server 120 or may bestored in a server provided by a portable terminal manufacturer.

When the control terminal 110 and the target terminal 130 areheterogeneous, according to the spec information of the target terminal130, the key mapper 423 converts input key information, which isincluded in a remote control command message received from the controlterminal 110, to a format conforming to the target terminal 130.

Also in this case, according to the spec information of the controlterminal 110, the video converter 424 converts video data, which isincluded in the remote control response message received from the targetterminal 130, to a format conforming to the control terminal 110.

In addition, according to the spec information of the control terminal110, the audio converter 425 converts audio data, which is included inthe remote control response message received from the target terminal130, to a format conforming to the control terminal 110.

The relay processor 421 relays a message transmitted/received betweenthe control terminal 110 and the target terminal 130. The specinformation of the two terminals 110 and 130 is read from the terminalinformation DB 422. If the spec information shows that the two terminals110 and 130 are homogeneous terminals, the relay processor 421 simplydelivers the message received. Otherwise, the message is converted to aformat conforming to a receiving terminal, and then is transmitted tothe receiving terminal via the key mapper 423, the video converter 424and the audio converter 425.

FIG. 5 illustrates a remote control process performed by the controlterminal 110.

Referring to FIG. 5, it is determined whether a remote control eventoccurring at the request of a user is detected in step 500. If so, instep 502, a remote control request message including information (e.g.,phone number) of the target terminal 130 is generated and transmitted tothe target terminal 130 via the remote control management server 120. Instep 504, the target terminal 130 is subject to an authenticationprocess, which may be performed using various conventional schemes. Forexample, a password based authentication process may be used in which apassword is requested when the control terminal 110 performs theauthentication process, the user then inputs the password, the inputpassword is then transmitted to the target terminal 130 via the remotecontrol management server 120.

In step 506, it is determined whether remote control is granted. Theremote control is regarded as being granted when a remote control grantmessage is received.

If a remote control error message is received in step 506 instead ofreceiving the remote control grant message, in step 520, the receivedremote control error message is output, and the procedure is ended.

Otherwise, in step 508, it is determined whether a remote controlcommand is generated to control the target terminal 130. If no remotecontrol command is generated, the procedure goes to step 512, as will bedescribed below.

Upon detecting the remote control command in step 508, a remote controlcommand message including the remote control command is generated andtransmitted to the target terminal 130 via the remote control managementserver 120 in step 510.

In step 512, it is determined whether a remote control response messageis received. If no message is received, the procedure goes to step 516,as will be described below.

Upon receiving the remote control response message in step 512, video oraudio data included in the remote control response message is output instep 514. Then, in step 516, it is determined whether remote control iscompleted. If the remote control is not completed, the procedure returnsto step 508.

Upon detecting the completion of the remote control in step 516, theprocedure goes to step 518, and thus a remote control end message istransmitted to the target terminal 130 via the remote control managementserver 120. The procedure is then ended.

In the flow of FIG. 5, the remote control process is ended when thecompletion of remote control is detected by the control terminal 110,and this is informed to the target terminal 130. Alternatively, however,when a remote control end event occurs in the target terminal 130, thecontrol terminal 110 may receive the remote control end message from thetarget terminal 130 via the remote control management server 120,thereby completing the remote control. In this case, prior to completingthe remote control, a message indicating the completion of remotecontrol is displayed on the display unit of the control terminal 110.

FIG. 6 illustrates the remote control process performed by the targetterminal 130.

Referring to FIG. 6, upon receiving a remote control request message instep 600, an authentication process is performed in step 602 using oneof various conventional schemes. For example, a password basedauthentication process may be used in which a password request is sentto the control terminal 110 via the remote control management server 120when the target terminal 130 performs the authentication process, and apassword is input from the control terminal 110 via the remote controlmanagement server 120 and is compared with a pre-stored password.

In step 604, authentication of the requested remote control is checkedin response to the result of the authentication process of step 602. Ifthe authentication is not valid in step 604, the procedure goes to step616 and thus a remote control error message is generated and transmittedto the control terminal 110 via the remote control management server120.

However, if the authentication is valid in step 604, a remote controlgrant message is generated and transmitted to the control terminal 110via the remote control management server 120 in step 606. Then, in step608, it is determined whether a remote control command message isreceived. If no message is received in step 608, the procedure goes tostep 612, as will be described below.

Upon receiving the remote control command message in step 608, theprocedure goes to step 610 and thus a remote control command included inthe remote control command message is executed. Then, in step 612, aremote control response message including video/audio data output fromthe target terminal 130 is generated and transmitted to the controlterminal 110 via the remote control management server 120.

The remote control response message may be periodically generated instep 612 within a time interval or may be generated only when video datais modified or audio data is output.

In step 614, a remote control end message is received to detect a remotecontrol end event. If no message is received, the procedure returns tostep 608. Otherwise, the procedure is ended.

In the flow of FIG. 6, the remote control process is ended when theremote control end message is received through the remote controlmanagement server 120. Alternatively, however, when the remote controlend event occurs at the request of a user or due to power shortage, thetarget terminal 130 may generate a remote control end message andtransmit it to the control terminal 110 via the remote controlmanagement server 120, thereby ending the remote control process.

FIG. 7 illustrates the relay process performed by the remote controlmanagement server 120.

Referring to FIG. 7, upon the remote control management server 120receiving a remote control request message from the control terminal 110in step 700, the remote control management server 120 selects in step702 the target terminal 130 and transmits the received remote controlrequest message to the target terminal 130.

An authentication process in step 704 is performed on the controlterminal 110 that attempts to access the target terminal 130. In thiscase, information required for authentication is relayed. Theauthentication process may be performed using various conventionalschemes. For example, a password based authentication process may be inwhich the remote control management server 120 relays a passwordrequest. The password based authentication process is achieved suchthat, upon receiving a password request for the target terminal 130, thepassword request is sent to the control terminal 110, and a passwordtransmitted from the control terminal 110 is sent to the target terminal130.

In step 706, it is determined whether a remote control grant message isreceived from the target terminal 130. If a remote control error messageis received instead of receiving the remote control grant message, thereceived remote control error message is transmitted to the controlterminal 110, and the procedure is then ended.

However, upon receiving the remote control grant message in step 706,the received remote control grant message is transmitted to the controlterminal 110 in step 708. Then, spec information of the control terminal110 and the target terminal 130 is checked in step 710. The specinformation may be obtained by searching the terminal information DB inthe remote control management server 120. Alternatively, the specinformation may be provided by a mobile terminal manufacturer ordirectly received from a terminal.

In step 712, by using the spec information, it is determined whether thetwo terminals 110 and 130 are homogeneous or heterogeneous. If theresult of step 712 shows that the two terminals 110 and 130 areheterogeneous, in step 714, a received message is converted to a formatconforming to a receiving terminal and is then transmitted to thereceiving terminal. Details of step 714 will be described below withreference to FIG. 8. Otherwise, in step 716, the received message issimply delivered to the receiving terminal. Details of step 716 will bedescribed below with reference to FIG. 9.

FIG. 8 illustrates a relay process performed by the remote controlmanagement server 120 when a remote control process is carried outbetween two heterogeneous terminals.

Referring to FIG. 8, upon a remote control command message beingreceived in step 800, by using spec information of the two heterogeneousterminals, a remote control command, which corresponds to input keyinformation and is included in the received remote control commandmessage, is converted in step 802 to a format conforming to the targetterminal 130. In step 804, the converted message is transmitted to thetarget terminal 130.

In step 806, it is determined whether a remote control response messageis received. Upon receiving the remote control response message, in step808, by using the spec information, video/audio data included in theremote control response message is converted to a format conforming tothe control terminal 110. In step 810, the converted message istransmitted to the control terminal 110.

In step 812, it is determined whether a remote control end message isreceived from the control terminal 110 or the target terminal 130. Ifthe remote control end message is not received, the procedure goes tostep 800. If the remote control end message is received, the processgoes to step 814. In step 814, if it is received from the controlterminal 110, the remote control end message is transmitted to thetarget terminal 130 upon being received from the control terminal 110,whereas it is transmitted to the control terminal 110 upon beingreceived from the target terminal 130. The procedure is then ended.

FIG. 9 illustrates a relay process performed by the remote controlmanagement server 120 when a remote control process is carried outbetween two homogeneous terminals.

Referring to FIG. 9, when a remote control command message is receivedin step 900, the received remote control command message is transmittedto the target terminal 130 in step 902. Upon receiving a remote controlresponse message in step 904, the received remote control responsemessage is transmitted to the control terminal 110 in step 906.

In step 908, it is determined whether a remote control end message isreceived from the control terminal 110 or the target terminal 130. Uponreceiving the remote control end message, in step 910, the receivedremote control end message is transmitted to the target terminal 130when it is received from the control terminal 110, whereas it istransmitted to the control terminal 110 upon being received from thetarget terminal 130. The procedure is then ended.

According to the present invention, there is provided a remote controlsystem including a control terminal which is a portable terminal (i.e.,a subject of remote control) that controls another portable terminal(i.e., an object of remote control), a target terminal which is aportable terminal (i.e., an object of remote control) that is controlledby the control terminal, and a remote control management server whichdetermines whether the control terminal and the target terminal areheterogeneous, and if the two terminals are heterogeneous, convertsmessages respectively transmitted from the control terminal and thetarget terminal to a format conforming to corresponding receivingterminals. Therefore, there is an advantage in that remote control canbe provided to heterogeneous portable terminals, thereby providingconvenience in use.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference to acertain preferred embodiment thereof, it is a mere exemplaryapplication. Thus, it will be understood by those skilled in the artthat various changes in form and details may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable communication device comprising: aninput device; an output device; wireless communication circuitry toestablish a communication connection with an electronic device externalto the portable communication device via a server; and aprocessor-implemented controller adapted to: transmit, via thecommunication connection, a request for controlling the electronicdevice to the electronic device; receive, via the communicationconnection, a grant message with respect to the request from theelectronic device; transmit, via the communication connection, a remotecontrol command to the electronic device based at least in part onreceiving the grant message, the remote control command to control aspecified operation of the electronic device based at least in part onan input to be received via the input device of the portablecommunication device; and receive, via the communication connection,content corresponding to the specified operation from the electronicdevice, at least part of the content being modified by the server toconform to the portable communication device prior to receiving thecontent at the portable communication device such that the content canbe presented via the output device of the portable communication device.2. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein theprocessor-implemented controller is adapted to: generate the requestincluding identification information corresponding to the electronicdevice, as at least part of the transmitting of the request.
 3. Theportable communication device of claim 2, wherein the identificationinformation corresponding to the electronic device includes a phonenumber.
 4. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein theinput device comprises a touch sensor, wherein the processor-implementedcontroller is adapted to: receive a user input via the touch sensor asthe input to control the specified operation of the electronic device.5. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein theprocessor-implemented controller is adapted to: perform receiving thecontent modified based at least in part on an indication that thecontent cannot be presented at the portable communication device withoutmodification.
 6. The portable communication device of claim 5, whereinthe indication is generated at the server based at least in part on adetermination that at least part of a first specification correspondingto the portable communication device is different from at least part ofa second specification corresponding to the electronic device.
 7. Theportable communication device of claim 1, wherein theprocessor-implemented controller is adapted to: present, via the outputdevice, the content based least in part on a first codec as modified bythe server, the first codec being different from a second codeccorresponding to original content stored at the electronic device. 8.The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the contentincludes graphical content, wherein the processor-implemented controlleris adapted to: perform receiving the graphical content based at least inpart on an indication that at least one portion of the graphical contentis changed at the electronic device based on the remote control command.9. A portable communication device comprising: a speaker; wirelesscommunication circuitry; and a processor-implemented controller adaptedto: establish, using the wireless communication circuitry, acommunication connection with a first electronic device external to theportable communication device via a second electronic device external tothe portable communication device; receive, via the communicationconnection, audio content from the first electronic device via thesecond electronic device, at least part of the audio content beingmodified by the second electronic device to conform to the portablecommunication device prior to receiving the audio content at theportable communication device such that the audio content can bepresented at the portable communication device; and output sound via thespeaker corresponding to the audio content as modified by the secondelectronic device.
 10. The portable communication device of claim 9,wherein the processor-implemented controller is adapted to: provideidentification information corresponding to the first electronic deviceto the second electronic device, as at least part of the establishing ofthe communication connection.
 11. The portable communication device ofclaim 10, wherein the identification information corresponding to thefirst electronic device includes a phone number.
 12. The portablecommunication device of claim 9, further comprising: a touch sensor,wherein the processor-implemented controller is adapted to: performreceiving the audio content in response to a user input received via thetouch sensor.
 13. The portable communication device of claim 9, whereinthe processor-implemented controller is adapted to: perform receivingthe audio content based at least in part on an indication that the audiocontent cannot be presented at the portable communication device withoutmodification.
 14. The portable communication device of claim 9, whereinthe indication is generated at the second electronic device based atleast in part on a determination that at least part of firstspecification corresponding to the portable communication device isdifferent from at least part of second specification corresponding tothe first electronic device.
 15. The portable communication device ofclaim 9, wherein the processor-implemented controller is adapted to:output the sound based at least in part on a first codec as modified bythe server, the first codec different from a second codec correspondingto original audio content stored at the first electronic device.
 16. Theportable communication device of claim 9, wherein theprocessor-implemented controller is adapted to: stop receiving the audiocontent in response to a power shortage with respect to the portablecommunication device.
 17. An apparatus comprising: at least onecommunication circuitry; and a processor-implemented controller adaptedto: transmit, using the at least one communication circuitry, a remotecontrol command received from a first electronic device to a secondelectronic device, the remote control command to control a specifiedoperation of the second electronic device by the first electronicdevice; receive, using the at least one communication circuitry, contentfrom the second electronic device based at least in part on the remotecontrol command; transmit, using the at least one communicationcircuitry, the content to the first electronic device based at least inpart on a first indication that the content can be presented at thefirst electronic device; and transmit, using the at least onecommunication circuitry, another content modified from the content bythe apparatus to the first electronic device based at least in part on asecond indication that the content cannot be presented at the firstelectronic device without modification.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17,wherein the processor-implemented controller is adapted to: identify,prior to the transmitting of the remote control command, the secondelectronic device among a plurality of electronic devices usingidentification information corresponding to the second electronic devicereceived from the first electronic device.
 19. The apparatus of claim17, wherein the processor-implemented controller is adapted to: adjustat least one portion of the remote control command to conform to a keymap corresponding to the second electronic device as at least part oftransmitting the remote control command.
 20. The apparatus of claim 17,wherein the processor-implemented controller is adapted to: modify thecontent according to an operation system or a codec available at thefirst electronic device.